Economic outlook uneven

The economic report for July and August compiled by the city’s Economic Development Department paints what’s become a fairly standard picture, some indices up, others down and a general sense that momentum has slowed from recent years.

The report, compiled by the department’s chief economist Steve Nivin, is full of data, including information on unemployment rates, which are trending upwards, the business cycle index, which jumped by more than 5 percent from July last year to July this year, and home sales, which declined by 8.1 percent comparing July in 2007 and July in 2006, the largest drop among major Texas cities.

The report also updates demographic information for the city based on the newest American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. Among those findings is data on the number of people living below the poverty level in 2006. For San Antonio, that increased to 18.1 percent from 17.3 percent in 2000. The report said that put San Antonio about in the middle of the pack among the state’s major cities.